Start needed on Brampton Manor plans to reduce arson risk


We are obviously concerned about security and vandalism issues at the now empty Brampton Manor. Parts of the premises are a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade II* listed. They are therefore of regional and indeed national importance.

You can read about a recent arson attack in this Derbyshire Times report

The recent arson attack appears to have been on the leisure centre block (pictured left), but is quite close to the Brampton Manor and other historic buildings. (Photo: Howard Borrell)

Fortunately the latest vandalism attack did not damage the historic parts of the property.

Our Chairman, Philip Riden, states that Brampton Manor contains one of the few securely dated cruck-framed farm buildings anywhere in the Borough or the immediately adjoining parishes of North East Derbyshire. it also contains a regionally very rare surviving example of a late 17th- or 18th- century gazebo. Consequently the Civic Society thinks it is one of the best examples of the small country houses built by successful Chesterfield lead merchants in the rural area around the town in the late 16th and 17th centuries. 

The Civic Society have been in dialogue with a number of stakeholders over the issue. We’ve included a few photographs of the latest damage at the property (to the modern leisure centre – to be demolished in renovation plans), courtesy of one of our committee members and a ward borough councillor Howard Borrell. These were taken with permission.

The garage area at Brampton Manor contains dateable cruck beams. It’s shown here sheeted up in this photograph’ like others in this post taken, with permission, on 2 August by Howard Borrell.

We feel the best way to deal with these repeated acts of vandalism is to increase site security and start work on renovation and conversion works, for which permission was granted in December 2021. These are for the conversion of the former public house into four flats, the creation of a fifth apartment in the building behind (the so-called ‘club house’) and the conversion of the cruck-framed barn at the back of the main house into garaging. 

Not that long ago Brampton Manor was a fully functioning leisure centre and public house. Now it awaits its future as flats. The civic society feels the best way to help ensure the future of this building is to start with these works, which were given planning approval in December 2021. (Photo: Howard Borrell)

We’ll be continuing to keep an eye on the situation and working with stakeholders to try and ensure the future of this important building site.


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